Gem Connection
by Anime lover 3593
Summary: A heist gone wrong, a scream that resonates through the area and a hope; of survival and of reunion. When the thief in white gets injured who will save him? And why does it seem like he's not where he is supposed to be? possible OOC.
1. Beginnings

A/N: This is my first time writing a Detective Conan fanfiction so it's very possible that the characters are OOC and that grammar... needs some work... Anyways I won't take up to much time so...

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito characters, settings, etc. they belong to Gosho Aoyama the wonderful creator of both series!

Anyways on with the show!

* * *

The shot rang clear through the night. The thief in white looked down, pain not quite registering; There was another shot and he felt the force push him backwards. He stared wide-eyed as he tripped over the low protective barrier surrounding the building. With blood-soaked hands he fell, shock breaking through his poker face. The gem that he had been about to put in the air fell with him. The moonlight struck it as a voice shouted from above. As the thief's thoughts faded he could hear a name, his real name, which seemed to resonate through the area. He opened his eyes one last time to see a face so much like his own; a hand reaching over the edge as others held him back. The voice shouted into the clear, cold night air, a heart-wrenching and painful scream.

"SHINICHI!"

* * *

Kaito Kuroba smirked as the class shouted in outrage. All of them, besides him and a creepy red haired female, seemed to be suspended half-way in the air; The desks moving as if possessed, or on a rollercoaster ride. The red haired girl looked at him with a slightly raised eyebrow; the delicate curving of the eye would have captivated men throughout the room, if they had actually seen her. Kaito just ignored the expression.

"KKKAAIITTOOOOO!" His smirk grew even wider.

"I noticed that their pink stripped today! Though I must admit, they don't really suit you." The girl, who had just yelled, Aoko, grew bright red, anger simmering in her eyes.

"Kaito! You pervert!" she shouted jumping from her chair and swinging a mop, which had appeared out of nowhere, at the boys head. Kaito easily dodged jumping over the desk to avoid the deadly mop.

"Ahoko, you're slow! With that speed you'll never catch me!" he dodged again doing a cartwheel to get away from the rampaging girl. Meanwhile the red haired girl stiffened; she glanced around, a small frown appearing on her lips. "So… it's beginning." She whispered to herself, unheard by the rest of the class. She looked over at Kaito who was sticking out his tongue at the other girl while doing a jump split, avoiding the dangerous weapon. She narrowed her eyes at the boy, who paused slightly as if he sensed something. Kaito glanced at the red haired girl and their eyes met, a moment that was broken when he felt a weight fall onto his back and a scream echo through the room.

* * *

Kaito fell forward, his poker face slipping in surprise as he collapsed with a thud to the ground. He could feel something heavy on his back.

"Ow…." He muttered to himself.

"…K…Kaito…" He looked up to see Aoko's face pale as she stared at whatever was on his back. He blinked then felt something soak through his shirt. His eyes narrowed instantly. He knew that feeling; it wasn't foreign to him, even though he wished it was. Slowly he looked back.

"Quick call the ambulance and the police!" a voice shouted. Kaito knew that voice; it was the blond haired detective, Hakuba.

"Kaito, don't look back, at least wait until Aoko and I say so." The blonde ordered. Kaito blinked confused. With that one statement his curiosity was piqued even more, he wanted to know what it was. Not one to follow orders, or wait patiently for others, he looked back to see a boy. He had on a monocle just like kaitou kid would, but it had a black spade instead of the green clover and the surrounding was green, as if the coloring had been swapped. The clothes were very similar to his own Kaitou Kid outfit except for the fact that the hat was a short hat with a red ribbon around it and the undershirt was black with a red tie. The cape was nowhere to be seen, as if it had fallen, or been ripped off. The boy himself looked remarkably like him, his hair seemed more pristine than his wild locks and it was darker, but that was the only real difference; maybe height as well, but he couldn't really tell at that angle. His eyes widened as he saw blood dripping from the boy's mouth and he felt more seeping through his clothes.

As he was taking this all in Hakuba and a shocked Aoko were helping to take the boy off Kaito's back; Being careful not to hurt either of them. The rest of the room which had been silent for a second had erupted into panic. This made it harder for the other two to help the boy. Someone had called the ambulance and they could hear the sounds of a siren coming closer.

Kaito was finally able to struggle out from under the dead weight. As he got up to look back his eyes widened even more. From being under the boy he hadn't been able to see the wound, but now that he did he was shocked. There were two bullet wounds; one was in the gut which would explain why he felt the blood on his back. The other was right above the heart. The boy was unconscious and his breathing was shallow.

Kaito rushed forward and instinctively ripped off some cloth to stop the bleeding, Hakuba was doing the same thing, careful not to press too hard on the wound, since it seemed like the bullets might still be lodged in the body. Aoko ran outside while the teacher tried to calm the students, directing them out the door of the classroom and helping those who fainted due to the blood. Aoko quickly came back followed by the paramedics; who hurriedly analyzed the scene. Within seconds the boy was on a gurney heading towards the ambulance. Around the same time the police officer, who had also come, walked into the room.

"So can you tell me what happened?" the man asked the girl who was still in the room; He was not that panicked since the boy in question was heading towards the hospital.

Aoko looked around to see where Kaito was, since the whole scenario pertained to him. However she didn't see either the brunette prankster or the blonde detective.

"Well, it looks like Kaito-kun has run off, so why don't we explain what happened Ms. Nakamori?" The red head said flipping her hair behind her ear.

"Akako! Thank you I can't believe Kaito ran off like that." She huffed then looked at the man.

"Anyways, it began with…"

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same for you. That body simply fell on you, I don't see why you would be following him… unless you're wondering why someone is impersonating you?"

"For one I have no idea what you're talking about and for two I am worried, who wouldn't be in that situation?"

"Are you sure you just didn't want to talk to the police?"

"We're trying to save a patient here, if you don't have anything helpful to say then please be quiet!" a man glared. He had hurriedly discarded the shirt, monocle and hat and had quickly attached tubes and IVs to the patient, while another worked to help stem the bleeding.

The two who had been talking shut up for a second, annoyance evident on their faces; Hakuba glanced at the boy next to him. The boy's poker face was up but it wasn't very sturdy, one could easily tell the boy was shaken. Hakuba could understand, it isn't often that a body, with bullet wounds, fall on you in the middle of a closed of classroom. He glanced forward to look at the boy on the gurney feeling the ambulance jolt slightly as it went over a large bump. The boy looked familiar, if you ignored the fact that he looked shockingly like Kaito. He frowned, trying to pinpoint where he had seen that face before. Then suddenly the ambulance stopped and the doors opened. The patient was rushed out and, before he even realized, Kaito had disappeared along with the doctors. The blonde got up to follow and then his eyes widened. Of course! No wonder he didn't remember, he had only really seen him in newspapers and that was months ago, that was the face of Shinichi Kudo, the famous high school detective that had gone missing recently! He ran after the group with a frown on his face. 'Why did he suddenly appear now? And why did his outfit look so much like Kaito's? Who shot him, where was he shot?' there were so many questions going through his mind, but none of them seemed to want to be answered. Usually he would have stayed at the scene, but his intuition was telling him he wouldn't find out anything there. He trusted his intuition and he believed it, especially since it had seemed like the boy had appeared out of thin air. He caught up with Kaito just as the gurney was pushed through the emergency room doors.

* * *

Kaito sat down wondering why he was so worried. He felt himself shake slightly and wondered whether the air conditioning was up to high. The blonde detective was sitting next to him, a knowing look in his eyes. Kaito frowned; he had recognized the boy pretty quickly, since said boy had almost captured him once at the clock tower heist. He frowned behind his poker face. 'Akako knows something, she always does and this time when she looked… it wasn't a look I normally see, she was actually worried… her eyes... she had also mentioned something about… beginning. I guess I'm going to have to bother her after I find out if the detective survived. Talking about detectives, why am I so worried about him again?...' He shook his head slightly and then got up.

"I think I'm going to wash off, this blood isn't exactly comfortable you know." Hakuba raised an eyebrow then nodded, arms crossed and one leg over the other, waiting patiently.

The thief got up and walked away. After acquiring a new set of clothes he walked into the bathroom. He quickly stripped his shirt off and wiped down what he could of his back; after that he put on the new outfit and sighed in relief. He walked over to the sink and turned on the water. He splashed his face and neck, still feeling like their was traces of blood on him. Looking up he could see the mirror, reflecting the face of the boy; dull blue eyes stared back at him as blood dripped from his mouth.

Kaito quickly splashed his face again.

The next time he looked up all he saw was himself. He sighed. Maybe he needed some sleep. He hadn't gotten a good night's rest for a while, seeing as he had just recently finished a heist the night before. And he had been up every night preparing for it. He closed his eyes and breathed out slowly.

He had always hated seeing someone in pain, especially after he lost his father; but the fact that the boy looked so much like him, during a Kaitou Kid heist, didn't really help matters. He gripped the edge of the sink his poker face twitching slightly; what had happened? Why had he fallen on him? How did he even get into the classroom? The boy closed his eyes then looked up. The mirror reflected his eyes which held fierce determination. He was going to find out what had happened, he couldn't let it rest, and from the look of the blonde detective, he wouldn't be able to either.

'Well, isn't this interesting, a thief becoming a detective?' he thought, chuckling at the idea.

He walked out and sat next to the blonde detective, ideas forming in his mind already. The blonde looked at him, bemused.

The thief just ignored him, staring at the ER door. He sighed. He was determined to figure something out, but that didn't mean he was suddenly able to patiently wait. He frowned, leg already thumping on the floor in impatience as the blonde next to him continued to wait. The two sat their in differing levels of anticipation and annoyance... It was going to be a long day.

* * *

A/N: I didn't put this at the beginning because it would ruin the surprise but this goes along with the Devil's Contract Challenge which is hosted by Phantom Hitman 1412:

20 points for an interesting title and summary (10 points apiece)

10 points on Spelling and Grammar (even though I'm far from perfect, so don't worry about that too much, just make it readable)

50 points for awesomeness and enjoyment

20 Points for how well you follow the brief. And since that's a very small brief, they are easily won points!

That makes 100 points, plus an extra 10 for including my mysterious item (Mirror). These are extra credit points which will be added to your score to boost it a little.

Due Monday 28th of May.

I hope you liked this opening! It's been a long time since I have posted something on fanfiction... anyways, it took forever to figure out how to get shinichi in Kaito's outfit, and in the end this ended up being written... well, I like the starting paragraph... anyways, good luck to any other people in the contest!

For now that's it so...

Ja ne~

(P.S. please review! I really appreciate reviews, and I know my grammar is bad, but I hope you still enjoyed it. :)

P.P.S: please, no flames, I really don't appreciate them and I will completely ignore them.)


	2. Meetings and tears

Chapter 2: I tried for a more emotional chapter… let's see if I succeeded…

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito characters, settings, etc. they belong to Gosho Aoyama the wonderful creator of both series!

* * *

Ran hummed quietly, a smile adorning her face; the sound crisp and clear as she continued sweeping the dust bunnies away from the corner of the room. Sonoko, who was with her, frowned in annoyance as she used a duster on one of the many bookshelves in the house.

"Ran… do we really need to clean up for that idiot detective? Especially since Subaru-kun is here?" Sonoko stated glancing over at her best friend.

Ran looked up, "Well, he said he was going to be away for a while and wanted me to keep the house tidy while he was away, just in case Shinichi does come back during that time." She stopped sweeping as Sonoko rolled her eyes.

"Jeez, that idiot detective better appreciate all the work you put into this, sometimes I really think he doesn't deserve you."

"Sonoko!"

"Ring Ring Ring" The two jumped as the phone went off, cutting into their conversation. Sonoko watched as Ran hurried to pick it up.

"Hello, Shi- Kudo's house, whose calling?" the girl spoke a smile on her face.

Sonoko watched in silent trepidation as Ran face started to grow pale and the smile slowly disappeared.

"Th… That can't be…" the girl whispered, her body trembling with suppressed emotions, the smile gone.

"What's wrong?" Sonoko asked warily, not sure whether to even interrupt the conversation at all. Ran put one hand over the phone then looked at her. Tears prickling at the corner of her eyes as a distressed look crossed her face. She whispered quietly to the other girl, pain evident in her voice. Sonoko froze, eyes widening as she listened. She blinked and then ran forward hugging the other girl tightly. She looked down at her best friend and thought,

'That idiot… he better be alright…'

* * *

"Shin-chan! Are you alright? You're not in the hospital or anything right?" Conan sighed as he listened to his mother pester him. Really he loved his mom but sometimes she was a bit over the top incessant.

"Yes mom, as I've told you about 15 times already, I'm fine, I'm not in a hospital and I'm not going to even need to go to one."

"But… but Mommy's worried about you…" Conan rolled his eyes as he heard a slight chuckle from behind him.

"Like I said, I'm fine. And anyways, why would I be in the hospital? I'm still Conan remember?" He responded, frowning, "It was probably just a mean prank call, you shouldn't worry about it."

"Oh… fine. But make sure to tell us what's going on… we haven't heard from you in ages and were really worried…"

"Okay, okay. I'll tell you if anything comes up. Anyways I have to go; Agasa-Hakase said he is going to bring us out for lunch. Bye!"

"Shin-cha-"he hung up and sighed. Really, his mom could be quite a handful.

He glanced back, glaring at the young girl behind him who was suppressing a chuckle. The young girl stopped and walked forward.

"So, Kudo-kun, what was your mom saying?"

Conan just glanced at her again and then looked away. "She was asking whether I was really in the hospital or not. She said she got a call from Ekoda hospital saying that I was shot and in critical condition…"

Haibara raised her eyebrow slightly, glancing at the boy. "How is that even possible… your right here?"

"That's what I would like to know… That's why I'm going to ask Agasa-Hakase to see if he can drive me there. Maybe I can find out more at the hospital." Conan stated turning to the door, he reached up to open the door as Haibara nodded.

"That makes sen-"

"Hakase!" Conan jumped back just in time as the door swung open. He stared up to see Ran, anger and worry contorting her face; tear streaks were still evident on her pale cheeks.

Agasa blinked and looked up as Conan asked, "Ran-nee-chan… what's wrong?"

Ran blinked and looked down, "Conan-kun…"

Sonoko, who was behind the girl walked in and glared down at the boy saying, "That's none of your business brat!" Conan glared up at her as she looked at Agasa and continued. "Ran wants to go to Ekoda hospital, I would take her but she is in a hurry and doesn't want to wait for my driver…" Ran nodded, not in the mood to contradict the other girl.

Agasa glanced at Conan who looked back at him with a slight tilt of the head.

The professor turned to the two girls and nodded, "I can take you, if you don't mind squeezing into my beetle..."

"Ne Ne~ Ran-nee-chan can I come too? I want to see Shinichi-nii-chan." Ran nodded not really paying attention as she responded with a hurried "Thank you." Conan frowned, staring worriedly up at the girl. Her face was drawn and her foot was tapping impatiently on the ground as Agasa got up. The professor quickly walked outside, noticing the girl's mood. The others followed close behind piling into the car with Conan in the front and the two girls in the back.

Haibara just watched as the car pulled out, a slight frown adorning her face; her thoughts hidden behind a poker face of her own.

* * *

"Which Room is Kudo Shinichi in?" Ran stated glaring at the receptionist, who just looked up from her paper work.

"Room 201…" before she could even continue the girl was off running, like the devil was chasing her. The receptionist blinked as the other girl, who was with her, ran after her. The little boy, who had followed behind them at a slower pace, bowed and said "thank you." The women nodded and looked back at her paper work; she still had a lot to do for the day.

The boy left taking his time to examine the hospital itself, since it was his first time in Ekoda. Not to mention he wasn't really keen on the idea of meeting himself, especially in a hospital bed… he sighed as he noticed Ran and Sonoko had disappeared up a flight of stairs.

Not wanting to get separated from the two he ran up the stairs two at a time and finally slowed down when he reached the top.

"Now where is Room 201…"

* * *

"How is he doctor?"

"He'll survive, but it was touch and go for a while, if the bullet to the heart had been a little lower or the one to his gut a little more to the left we would have had no way to save him, he was a lucky kid considering the circumstances... however…" The two boys looked at the doctor who hesitated slightly before continuing, "He…"

The two boy's eyes widened in shock as the doctor finished what he had to say. One bit his lip while the other simply nodded, unable to say anything. They looked through the window at the boy, sleeping quietly on the hospital bed.

"Where is room 201." A voice stated, not quite shouting. The doctor and the other two turned to see a girl running towards them.

"This is 201… you do know that it's not visiting hours…" the doctor stated looking at the girl who was panting slightly.

"Please, just tell me he's okay!" She stated looking him straight in the eye.

The doctor frowned, "I can only give information to authorized people, I'm sorry that's the rul-"

"I am Mouri Ran, I was at Shinichi's house when it was called and they told me that he was shot, what I want to know is if he's alright, don't I at least get to hear the results if I was contacted in the first place!" The doctor blinked as the girl fumed, ranting at him. He looked around, as if hoping someone would intervene, he sighed and went to explain.

Suddenly one of the two interrupted, stating, "Ran-kun! I didn't expect to see you here..."

"… Hakuba-kun! What are you doing here!" the girl stated wide-eyed, she glanced at the blonde haired detective then at the other boy who was beside him. "And who is that?" she asked noticing the uncanny resemblance between the boy and Shinichi. Before the blonde could even respond the other stepped forward and bowed. When he came back up he had a rose in his hand and a smile on his face.

"Kaito Kuroba, at your service my beautiful lady." Ran's mouth twitched suppressing a smile. She took the rose and nodded to the boy.

"Thank you." The boy nodded and smiled even wider.

Hakuba watched in bemusment then looked back at the girl, answering her original question "I was one of the one's who found him… This... boy is another… actually he was the one who got crushed as the body fell on him."

"Mou~ Do you really have to bring that up." The boy stated with a slight pout. Ran watched as emotions flashed through his eyes, to quick to distinguish, unnoticed by the detective.

"Fell?..." Ran stated in shock.

"Oh sorry, it wasn't really fell, the boy in there just sort of surprised him, causing him to fall over, almost making it look like he had fallen on him." the blonde stated, nonchalantly.

Sonoko, who had been right behind Ran, finally caught up. She put her hands on her knees and panted slightly.

"And who do we have here? " Kuroba grinned as the other girl blushed slightly from the run. The girl then glanced at her friend and rolled her eyes.

"Ran, I know you're worried, but you could have killed somebody at the speed you were going." She stated after she finally got her breath back. Ran blushed slightly, pursing her lips; as Sonoko looked at the two boys. "And who might you two be? Fans of the detective idiot in there?" She stated thrusting her thumb in the direction of the hospital room.

Hakuba gave them a deadpan look as Kaito suppressed a small chuckle. "No we are not, I am a detective, just like the boy in there, and while I am fascinated by his prowess and intellect that is not the reason why I am here." Hakuba stated, pulling a pocket watch out of one of his pockets to check the time.

"Nope~ we are here because we happened to be the ones who found him!" Kaito grinned. Then the boy turned and shouted, "Oi, doctor! Don't you have some explaining to do?" everyone blinked then looked around the boy to see the doctor from earlier jump. He had been moving steadily away from the crowd.

The doctor sighed realizing that he had been caught.

Ran turned towards the doctor who had finally rejoined them, "So… will he be alright?" the girl asked worry and concern showing through. The man frowned slightly, as if silently debating with himself. Ran watched the man quietly as Sonoko's eyes flickered between the man and the two boys.

The two boys had tightened their lips almost imperceptibly, the blonde frowned as the doctor took a deep breath. The two girls watched respectively, anxiety building with every passing second. As they waited, the lull between the conversations caused the atmosphere to grow tense, the silence that enveloped the area was almost deafening, causing some to fidget slightly in place. Finally the doctor let out his breath and looked at the two girls, right in the eye. "We got a call yesterday about a wounded boy in the Ekoda high school…"

Ran blinked slowly; she was silent as she took in what the man had to say, everything from picking up the boy, to the surgery and afterwards.

"That's ridiculous!" Sonoko shouted once he was done; worry and pain lancing through her voice. The girl tried to sound angry, threatening even, but her voice shook, belaying what she felt.

Ran simply turned her head and looked in the window the two had been peeking through earlier. Her eyes were blank as she stared at the boy sleeping peacefully on the bed; an oxygen mask covered his face as wires and an IV drip sat next to the bed. There was a heart monitor sitting on the other side of the boy, showing a steady pulse. The blanket was up to his chest keeping him warm. From the window she could just barely see the fresh bandages that were peeking above the blanket, wrapped around his upper chest and shoulder.

She bit her lip wanting desperately to go to his side.

"I haven't seen you in ages and when you appear you're like this…" She whispered to herself, tears threatening to overflow again. She looked down and breathed in, slowly… steadily…

"BAKA!" She shouted pounding one hand against the door, almost breaking it off its hinges. The group jumped in surprise but she didn't notice. That one, simple word had wrenched open the floodgates; her body shook as she collapsed to the floor, tears overflowing down her ashen cheeks.

"Ran-nee-chan…" Everyone turned, surprised to hear the young boys voice. Ran looked over, startled. She tried smiling, but it was a watery, almost desperate smile; one that made the young boys heart tear in two. Ran reached forward and pulled the boy into a hug, holding him tightly. The tears cascaded down, unrelenting. "That deduction freak! Why… why is it that whenever I see him he just seems to be farther away…why can't he stop doing this stupid, dangerous case and come back… Why… why do I have to keep finding him like this…?"

The others looked away not sure what to even say to the girl. The doctor bowed his head and left, saying he'll be back. The girl didn't hear him, she just continued crying, holding on to the boy. "Why!... why…" The girl choked as the boy soothingly rubbed her back; another bout of sobs racking her frail frame, "Why… when I finally found him, when I can finally talk to him face to face… why does he…. have to be…" She swallowed, the words faltering, not wanting to come out. She trembled and whispered quietly. The words she spoke, layered with fear and pain. A simple question that hung in the air with heartwrenching clarity. One that no one could answer...

"Why... does he have to be in a coma?..."

TBC

* * *

...

A/N: Did I succeed?

It took forever, I had lost the original plot line and everything so I had to rethink it up, at least now I have an idea and a way to continue, hopefully I can update a bit more regularly...

Anyways, I know Ran can tell when a person is an imposter or not, concerning Shinichi; however for this I will explain the reason for it later in the story, at this point I just ask you to go along with it, since I can't explain right now without ruining some of the mystery of the story.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope I didn't fail too epically when portraying the emotions and characters… anyways… Please review! I love reviews! They are always an encouragement, and I really appreciate you guys taking the time to write them!

See you next time!


	3. New Acquaintances and Revealed Secrets

A/N: Nope, quess not, all well. Here is the (extremely late) new chapter. These beginning chapters are more of just character meeting then anything, hopefully I will get into the main action soon.

I went on a little writing spree. Sorry if this is too long, but I couldn't find a good place to split it. This was actually the best I could do... I finally just decided to beta myself just to get this out of the way, since I couldn't find anyone to proof read it. If anyone wants to Beta me, I would really appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan. Period. That right belongs to the creator Gosho Aoyama.

Well then onto the story!

* * *

_She swallowed, the words faltering, not wanting to come out. _

_She trembled and whispered quietly, painfully, _

_"Why does he have to be in a coma..."_

* * *

The group sat in silence as the girl continued to cry. The young boy next to her was soothingly patting her back. After a while the sobs quieted. The girl took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She smiled weakly and wiped her tears with her sleeve. "Thanks Conan-kun" she whispered. The boy only nodded, a faint blush visible on his cheeks. His eyes were pained seeing the girl cry over 'him' even if it wasn't really him. The boy looked at the door and pursed his lips as Ran stood up, breathing deeply and evenly to calm down.

"Sorry about that." She stated bowing at the two boys.

"It's no big deal." Kaito said, looking away slightly, 'why did she have to look so much like Aoko' the boy thought, blushing slightly behind his poker-face.

"It's okay; we were shocked as well when we heard." Hakuba stated comfortingly. The girl nodded smiling.

Sonoko who was still semi-shocked at the outburst just hugged the girl.

Letting go, she rounded on the girl and proudly stated, "it's fine! That Detective idiot will recover! There's no way he won't when his wife is right here!"

Ran blushed, "Mou~ Sonoko!" the girl just grinned, glad to see her best friend feeling better.

"So Sonoko is your name? You never did introduce yourself," Hakuba stated, again looking at his pocket watch.

Sonoko turned quickly, "I completely forgot! I'm Suzuki Sonoko, It's a pleasure to meet you!" she grinned.

"Nice to meet you too! I'm Kuroba Kaito, it's nice to meet such a polite and lovely lady like yourself." The boy stated snapping. After the snap a beautiful rose sat in between his fingers. "This is for you." He smiled causing Sonoko to blush. She took the rose carefully. "Oh and the one whose constantly checking his timepiece his Saguru Hakuba." He stated still grinning.

The blonde suppressed a roll of his eyes and stepped forward. "So since we can't really do anything right here, want to talk elsewhere?" He stated looking at the two girls and the young boy.

"…Sure." Ran replied after a moment of hesitation, taking one more glance at 'Shinichi's' room.

They walked away, Sonoko literally pushing Ran away from the door way. She tried convincing her that it was fine, that there was no point in waiting outside the door, since they couldn't even get in in the first place, and that they'll come back after they find out what's going on. Conan stayed still for a moment, when he noticed that they were far enough away he looked around. There was no one in sight. He quietly turned the handle of the door and walked in, closing the door behind him. He stepped forward and stood beside the other staring in mild shock.

"Odd isn't it?" Conan jumped and spun around, eyes narrowed. After a moment he relaxed.

"Kaito-nii-chan… when did you arrive? I didn't hear you come in!"

The boy raised an eyebrow then responded, "I came in right after you, when I noticed you weren't following, you probably weren't paying attention." The boy shrugged, as if that was the only, and most likely, reason. Conan frowned slightly then looked back at the bed.

"Why do you say it's odd." The boy asked carefully. Kaito just grinned.

"Well, I heard this boy was a detective… but when we found him he was wearing an outfit similar to Kaitou Kid's, isn't that odd in itself?" The boy responded. Conan blinked and nodded, filing away the information for later use. "Well, I think that Nee-chan will start worrying about you soon so we better get going shouldn't we~" The boy stated, grin widening slightly. Conan nodded making another sweep of the room. He took in the person on the bed, basically an exact clone of his older self. Everything was similar even down to the way his hair messed up while asleep, he knew what _that _looked like courtesy of his over-doting mother. It was eerily creepy.

He pursed his lips then turned to follow the other boy. Leaving the room which was again enveloped in silence, the silence almost of death if not for the continued steady beeping of the heart monitor which showed the life, still beating slowly but surely beneath the closed eyelids.

* * *

"So… what happened?" Ran stated forcefully; looking at the two boys in front of her. The two boys glanced at each other, trying to figure out where to begin.

"Well, we are not exactly sure what happened mainly because someone was acting like a hyperactive idiot again and distracting the class." At that Hakuba looked pointedly at Kaito who just grinned back, hands behind his head.

The boy shook his head and continued, "It was while he was running from a girl in our class, Aoko. There had been a scream and a flash of red. The next thing we know Kaito's toppling forward 'caught' under Kudo's prone body."

"I don't remember a flash of light, especially red light." Kaito stated ignoring the 'caught' part.

"Well it was behind you and about .36 seconds long, I don't think even the infamous kid would notice if they were looking away." Hakuba stated checking his timepiece again, he grinned at the magician.

Kaito merely rolled his eyes as hakuba turned back to the trio to continue with the story, "I noticed kudo-kun was injured and after a moment of mayhem in the classroom we were able to secure the situation, and get kudo-kun off Kaito's back. After that we brought him to the hospital and have been here to check every so often on his development."

Ran, Sonoko and Conan sat in silence listening. A thoughtful look graced Conan's face as Sonoko decided she didn't like silence, "So… you're saying he appeared out of nowhere with a flash of light and a scream… and that's it? No gunshot sounds? No broken glass? Nothing? That sounds ridiculous." She stated frowning, her hands crossing in front of her chest.

"We're just as confused as you are, however I told you everything we know."

"… Though…" they all looked up to see a thoughtful kaito, which made hakuba twitch slightly. "I do remember the scream specifically, it sounded like someone had shouted 'Shinichi'… and the voice had been eerily familiar." Kaito stated glancing at the small boy for a moment before glancing back to the others. "In other words, someone saw what happened. We just have to find out who it was." Hakuba rose his eyebrow slightly, amusement flickering through his eyes. He looked at his pocket watch again and stood up.

"Well, I have to go; I have a meeting to attend, if you will excuse me." He bowed towards the two girls and young boy and walked out pocketing the watch as he left.

"Down to the second…" The two girls glanced over to see kaito looking back from watching the departing half-brit. "Well… since you can't exactly go see Kudo-kun right now, do want to see the town? I think it might make you feel better." The boy grinned standing up. Ran thought for a moment then stood up, due to the urging of her excited friend. A moment later Conan followed, hand still on his chin as he tried to put the pieces together.

They left the hospital, led by the hyperactive teenager who didn't seem to have a care in the world.

"Well, let's see where to start..." Ran glanced around and then her eyes shone.

"Can we start there? I haven't been to someplace like that since I was little!" Kaito glanced up then looked over where she was pointing. He visibly froze, the poker face trembling, barely in place. He quickly looked away.

"No! uh… y… you… do… don't want to go there! It's very bad and their scary and and… I know! Let's go to see Aoko. Maybe you can get along with her… maybe… if you don't make her angry… her mop is scary when she's angry. Actually here let's go this way. I know a place with really good chocolate ice-cream. Actually ice-cream sounds good. Let's go!" the boy ran in that direction as if the devil was chasing him… or his imagination, blabbering inconsequential things the whole time. The trio blinked in confusion.

"… I thought it would be nice to go to the aquarium…"

* * *

Sonoko shook her head. "That boy, he might look like shinichi, but he's nothing like that detective maniac… Come on lets go, he's the only one we know around here. It'd be best to stay with him." The girl stated dragging her friend along with her. Conan followed behind, subconsciously filing the event away as he continued to think of where the 'other' Shinichi came from.

* * *

They eventually caught up with the boy who had finally calmed down. He still looked slightly shaken but the grin was back in place. He was holding a chocolate ice-cream cone eating it happily. "I would advise the chocolate. The ice-cream here is the best and I think you guys would enjoy it on a hot day like today." He stated. After a while the two girls finally conceded and got some, Ran got a small cone for Conan and they moved on.

After that it was an entertaining day. Kaito always had a magic trick up his sleeve, often quite literally. Sonoko was smiling widely. Conan was half interested, often figuring out the trick as soon as the other boy did it. It quickly became a game. Kaito would do more elaborate tricks, to the enjoyment of the two girls, and Conan would figure out those tricks making it so the magician could never do the same trick twice. They past the rest of the day like that, Ran never remaining sad for long. The magician always seemed to know when the girl was upset, and it was almost like it was his job to cheer her up.

"You remind me of KID-sama for some reason…" Sonoko stated near the end of the day after Kaito performed yet another trick. The boy's grin widened.

"Of course! I'm KID's biggest supporter!" The boy practically sang. "I've always wanted to be like that amazing artist! His tricks are absolutely fantastic and he's such a gentleman!"

Sonoko's eyes widened, a gleam appearing in them. She smiled happily. "I love him too! I want him to sweep me away! I always try to convince my uncle to allow me to hold the gem's he uses to lure out kid-sama, but he won't let me." The girl was practically pouting at the end. Kaito's eyes gleamed.

"Do you mean that old man… jirokichi-san? The one who makes all those elaborate traps to try to catch Kid?"

"Yep! He's my uncle. Hey! Maybe you can join us next time! I heard my uncle found a new gem the other day. He said that he's trying to think up a plan to catch kid-sama. I hope KID sends out a notice soon! It's been so long since I've seen him!" the girl became starry eyed both hands were at the side of her head. She was happily day-dreaming.

Kaito blinked and turned his head to the side. A grin split his face, eerily resembling KID's signature smirk. "I would love too." Kaito stated.

"Kaito, why do you have such a stupid grin on your face?" Kaito jumped and spun to see Aoko. The girl was carrying a paper bag ladened with groceries. She looked beyond the boy and blinked at the trio. "Who are they?" She asked curiously.

"Oh! This is Sonoko-chan, Ran-chan, and Conan-kun. I meet them at the hospital. This is their first time in Ekoda so I was showing them around. Ran-chan is the girlfriend of the boy from the other day."

"I'm not his girlfriend!"

The protest was ignored.

"So, you've been enlightening them on the wonders of our little town?" she stated going around the boy. She smiled warmly at the trio as she came up to them. "I hope he didn't annoy you too much. He can be quite a handful. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Nakamori Aoko."She shifted the packages slightly and extended her hand in welcome. The girls took it smiling in response.

"It's nice to meet you Aoko-chan." Ran stated a smile gracing her lips. Conan looked up at the two and blinked slightly. Sonoko did the same, then grinned widely.

"You two look like twins! If Ran messed up her hair a little, you could probably pass off for each other!" Aoko and Ran blinked then looked at the other more closely. Kaito stood to the side watching in amusement. Conan joined him moving away from the three girls.

"So did you figure anything out?" Conan looked up in confusion. Kaito looked down at him then back at the two girls. "Well besides deciding to decipher and unhinge all of my tricks, your mind has been on something else. The only other thing would probably be where 'Shinichi' came from and all the pieces we have… which really isn't that much. Unless you're just thinking about how to do your homework for school, what was it… multiplication tables?" The boy grinned as the younger one looked at him with his infamous dead-pan look.

"You are annoying." The boy stated bluntly, causing the other to grin widely.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Conan sighed, "I really have no idea. None of the info is adding up. He didn't come through the ceiling yet he fell far enough to knock you over and from the sounds of it he came straight down, not from an angle. There were no gunshots heard yet there was a scream like someone had seen what happened. Not only that, but it is Shinichi-nii-chan who has been on a really big case lately…" 'Actually he's shinichi while I am also Shinichi, but I can't really say that.' Conan thought then continued verbally. "Not to mention, you mentioned the outfit he was wearing was similar to Kid's. Why didn't he get arrested if that was the case?"

"It was different enough from KID's that they would just think it was an imposter and there was nothing proving he was the thief." Kaito stated honestly. The other boy nodded.

"Oh, you mentioned that the shout sounded eerily familiar. Why? Do you know the person?" Conan stated looking up at the magician. The magician looked at him, pursing his lips slightly. He looked over at the girls, who had gotten over their surprise and were talking animatedly about something or other. He squatted down next to the boy.

"… It sounded like… I had shouted…" The young boy looked at the other incredulously. "I know I didn't scream though." Conan continued to look at him with a dubious look.

"Well! How could I? I didn't know he was going to fall on my back! And the scream came before the weight. About '.36 seconds' before." The boy had imitated Hakuba, saying the time in the other boy's accent perfectly. "I know it wasn't me. Yet it sounded like me."

The young boy gave him a deadpanned look. "Aren't you just being egotistical, thinking you said it."

"I'm offended! I would never think that! I know for a fact I heard it from somewhere else, and it was my voice." The boy looked slightly hurt at the insinuation.

Conan sighed. "Fine, so you heard you scream… that just leads us back to the problem. Where did he come from in order for that to happen?"

The magician shrugged no longer looking hurt. "I guess all we can do is wait for him to wake up." Kaito stated. "It's impossible to figure anything out with the info we have." Conan thought for a moment then nodded in resignation.

* * *

"It's getting late… we should probably get going…" Conan looked over to see Ran bowing to the other girl, Aoko.

"Why don't you stay with us? I know you're worried about Shinichi-kun. And tomorrows a holiday, I don't think you have school." The girl smiled.

"Oh no! I can't! I wouldn't want to intrude…"

"It's no problem! Actually Kaito, You should have room in your house as well, don't you?" The boy blinked then looked over.

"Uh… yeah I have room. But you're the one who said to have them stay, why are you asking if I have room?"

"Well… I was thinking… when… was the last time… we got together… for a sleep-over or something? I mean… oh whatever! Just get home!" Kaito blinked as the girl stomped off. He blinked again as he realized she was heading towards his house. He ran off after the other girl, leaving the trio looking at each other in confusion. Sonoko shrugged and followed the couple. The other two followed the girl, not really sure what was going on.

* * *

Kaito sighed, "Aoko! What are you doing all this for?"

Aoko walked up the front steps of the house, completely ignoring the other. She opened the door then shut it with a thud. Kaito blinked in confusion. Why was the door unlocked? He walked up the steps cautiously and opened the door to be enveloped in a tight and suffocating hug.

"Kai-chan! It's so good to see you!" Kaito struggled for a second then stopped, recognizing the voice.

"Mom?" He practically whispered. Chikage let go backing up to arm's length, a smile adorned her face. "It's been so long Kai-chan." She looked over the boys shoulder. "Oh! Hello! I'm sorry! I didn't see you there!" She smiled warmly at the trio.

The trio just stood by the gatepost looking at the house. It was a beautiful home. They glanced at the women who had hyperactively hugged her son. They were no longer shocked; Ekoda seemed to be full of interesting characters.

Chikage looked over at the trio and blinked. Within an instant she was next to Conan hugging him as tightly she had hugged Kaito, who was still catching his breath. "You look just like Shin-chan!" Conan froze, as Ran blinked tilting her head to the side.

"Um miss… that's Conan-kun… why did you say 'Shin-chan'?" The woman blinked then looked at the boy again.

"Oh! I'm sorry! He just looked so similar to my friends… uncles cousins mothers daughters son that I couldn't resist hugging him, it's been so long, and he looked just like this 10 years ago!" Conan looked at the women warily. The woman was smiling at the two girls, who just blinked and nodded. She picked the boy up, much to Conan's chagrin. "Come come! Let's go inside, it's getting dark out!"

"Uh… Well… it seems like you haven't seen your son for a while… so maybe we should just go home…"

"Nonsense! Theirs tons of room! And I plan to be home for quite some time! I can be with Kai-chan the rest of the time. And anyways, isn't it a long trip home?" The women continued. Ran hesitated along with Sonoko then finally she conceded, stepping into the house along with the other girl.

The woman closed the door behind them and turned to see the two girls looking around in fascination. They were in a short hallway leading into a large room, which looked like the main entrance with couches and a table to entertain guests. On one side of the room there was a staircase leading to the second floor. On the other there was two doorways. In the back was another doorway, this one made of almost translucent glass, leading out to the back of the house. The inside had a homely feel, though you could tell that a boy lived there, every so often there was a random magazine that hadn't quite been cleaned up, but besides that it was quiet peaceful. Light filtered in through the backdoor as the sun set on the horizon, casting a soft glow on the inhabitants.

"Your home is beautiful." Ran stated turning to the woman who smiled kindly.

"Thank you… my husband built it… There are many interesting things about this house…" She turned glancing sadly out the backdoor, as if remembering a scene from long ago. Conan finally gave up and sat quietly in her arms as she hugged him.

"Your husband built it?... He did an amazing job… Can I meet him?" The woman tilted her head slightly, hiding her eyes with her bangs. After a moment she turned back to the girl giving her small sad smile, the glow from the setting sun illuminating her face. Kaito gritted his teeth clenching his fist at his side, frustration and sadness flashing past his poker face.

"…He passed away eight years ago…"

Ran widened her eyes as she realized her mistake, Sonoko gripped her arm tightly eyes widening slightly as well. "Oh! I'm so sorry…" Ran stated bowing to the other woman.

Chikage just shook her head. "Don't worry about it, it was long ago… I'm getting over it… anyways why don't I make some dinner!" She grinned, heading towards one of the doorways to the side of the entrance hall.

"But… you still have conan-kun…"

"Oh! I want to talk to him for a second! Aoko-chan, Kai-chan, can you be so kind as to take care of them for me?" Kaito and the two girls turned to see a grinning Aoko, no longer grocery laden, come out of one of the doorways on the side of the house Chikage was heading too.

Kaito looked at her with a deadpan look. "You were in on this weren't you… you knew she was home."

Aoko's grin just widened as she went up to the two girls.

"Come on! You should see chikage-san's living room! It's just as beautiful if not more so! You're lucky most guests end up only staying in this room!

Maybe we can talk some more, I loved hearing about those cases you guys solved! There so exciting!" The girl smiled widely and led them to the other doorway, next to the one Chikage entered. The two girls were dragged away half enthusiastic half confused.

* * *

"Can you let me go please?" Conan stated frowning. The woman nodded grin no longer on her face.

"…who are you… you look uncannily like shin-chan… Yukiko's son… 10 years ago…"

"You must have me mixed up with someone else! There's no way I'm Shinichi-nii-chan! Especially since Shinichi-niichan is in the hospital." The boy stated layering his voice with as much childish sweetness as he could handle. He tilted his head cutely, confusion written all over his face. The woman looked at him for a second, contemplating, then reached forward snatching the glasses off before Conan even noticed. Her eyes narrowed slightly then she stood up. She walked away to the other side of the room, and rummaged around through the papers for a moment. A little while later she pulled out an old paper that was yellowing with age, there was a phone number written on it in clear black ink.

After a moment's hesitation she walked back over, picking up a cordless phone along the way, much to the young boys consternation. She sat down and dialed; spinning the young boys glasses around one finger.

She smiled fondly, "Yukiko, it's been a long time."

("… Chikage! It's been ages! How are you! I haven't heard from you sense your husband… what's up?")

The woman eyes grew sad as she responded, "I'm fine, I'm home for the first time in a while, got to see Kai-chan… say… did something happen to shin-chan?"

("… He's in the hospital, though I have yet to figure out how bad it is…")

Chikage looked over at Conan, frowning. She watched as he went to reach for his glasses desperately. The woman moved them out of the boys reach. "Is that so… Oh! I met Conan-kun…"

("oh! Conan-kun! How is he! It's been a while since I've seen him!")

Chikage paused, "How do you know him?"

("…Oh! He's my grandpas sisters daughters cousins son! I know his mother, Fumiyo Edogawa, very nice lady.")

"In other words… if I translate what you just said… he's your son…" Conan froze at the same time as the voice at the other end of the line.

("I didn't say that… and didn't you hear me say Shin-chan was in the hospital?")

Chikage sighed, "Yukiko-chan, I know my husband's step brother when I see him, it might have been eight years or even ten years, but that's all the more reason. He looks exactly like he did when I last saw him in the pictures you sent before we separated. Not to mention, if the person in the hospital really is your son, you wouldn't be talking so casually, you're the first to want to know what happened. Lastly, do you remember who you're even talking to, Night Baroness?" A sigh echoed from the other end of the phone.

("I never could get anything past you, no matter how well you're husband taught me… Though I am surprised… So now what?...

Actually If Shin-chan is there can I talk with him?")

Chikage smiled and nodded, "Sure." She bent down handing the phone to a frozen and distressed Shinichi.

("Shin-chan!... I'm sorry!")

"Mom! What the hell!" Shinichi shouted getting out of his state of shock. He no longer carried to act like his kid alias, there really wasn't a point.

("But, but! Shin-chan! I didn't mean to, she's my friend and I was surprised when she called! What else could I do!")

Shinichi sighed, gripping the phone tightly, giving a glare towards the woman still sitting peaceably in the chair across from him.

("Sh…Shin-chan. *sniff* I'm sorry! Please don't be mad… and you don't have to worry, you can trust her. Their family was close friends with Yusaku and I!")

Shinichi groaned, messaging his temples. "Mom, relax, I'm not mad with you, I'm just in a little bit of shock. People shouldn't be able to figure out stuff like this with a glance… and a phone call."

(*chuckle* "well she always was good at seeing through things… probably cause she's the wife of such a great magician, you've heard of him, Toichi Kuroba?")

"Yes… I know him, Toichi Kuroba, a world renowned magician. He died 8 years ago of a mysterious accident during one of his stage performances, many people suspected that it was because of carelessness…"

"It wasn't an accident!" Shinichi looked up startled, along with Chikage. The woman looked at the other, understanding flashing through her eyes as she noticed the boys upset face. By the doorway was Kaito, who had just walked in to check on dinner… and his mom. He had finally decided what he wanted to do after everyone had left him in the main room. "He wasn't careless! I was there with him when he checked the equipment! I was there when it happened! He was murdered! And I will prove it." His face was deadly serious, anger flashing through his eyes, poker face barely there. "You don't know anything!"

"Kai-chan…"

The boy took a deep breath closing his eyes, hair covering the now closed eyes. "Sorry… I… need to get some fresh air." He walked out leaving the two in silence. Suddenly a sound from the phone startled the two out of their revere.

("So… that was Kai-chan… he sounds all grown up… he… must really miss Toichi…")

Shinichi looked at the phone while Chikage got up, she walked out the door following her son, "…you know Kaito?..."

("Shin-chan… Did you get to see Shinichi?... the other one?")

Shinichi recognized a change in topic when he saw one, he breathed out, and continued with where his mother was leading. "Yes… he looks like me… in every way… it's uncanny. And nothing adds up… I talked to Hakuba-kun and… Kaito-kun. Their story sound like a fiction story…"

("Tell me what they told you… maybe we can help!")

"No. I want to figure this out myself… but Mom… can I really trust Chikage-san? I haven't known her for that long… at all. For pete sake! She saw me, hugged me, dragged me away and then ripped off my identity before I could even count to ten!"

(*Chuckle* sounds just like her. Listen, Shin-chan, be careful, mommy has a bad feeling that something is going to happen… women's intuition… I should say this, since Chikage knows who you are, get to know her… and Kaito. You might be surprised what you find out and I think she would enjoy your company… I know she's been lonely since Toichi left… Say Shin-chan is she still there?")

"…No… she left after Kaito…"

("Oh! Can you tell her something for Yusaku and I? Oh! And Yusaku says hi!")

"…Fine, what is it?" Shinichi stated crossing one leg over the other, the room was quiet, almost serene.

("Tell her that Yusaku wishes them the best of luck… especially their son, Kaito. It sounds like he's taken up his father's occupation.")

"…Occupation?... You mean as a magician?"

("… I'm not sure; you would have to ask Yusaku… he's the one who told me to tell you… Also! From me, can you tell her that I would love to hear from her again, it's been such a long time; I would like to catch up with her sometime! I need to go now, take care Shin-chan! And keep us updated! We want to know what's going on, okay!")

"Then why don't you come home." Shinichi deadpanned.

("Oh, honey, you know we can't do that! We're still in the middle of our world tour! You know! For your father's book!")

"In other words… you're running from publishers and reporters…"

("Bingo! Anyways, take care and hope to hear from you soon, say bye to Chikage for me! See you Shin-chan!")

There was a click and then the line died, signaling the end of the conversation. Shinichi frowned at the phone then put it down. He got up, stretched and walked out the door.

Kaito and Chikage were coming back in through the front door. Chikage was smiling while Kaito looked like nothing had happened, poker face back up in full force.

"Kai-chan do you think you can take care of Conan-kun for me? I need to take care of dinner."

"Mom…" Chikage merely chuckled and left. Kaito groaned messaging his temples.

"Kaito-niichan… are you okay?" Conan asked, switching back to his 7 year old self.

"Oh… yeah… I'm sorry I yelled at you, my dad… is a touchy subject… So! What do you want to do?" Kaito asked bending down to his level. Conan shrugged and Kaito smiled. "Come on, let's go see how the others are doing then I'll show you some more magic tricks, this time you won't be able to figure it out first time around."

Conan raised an eyebrow then smiled, "Sure… I am always up for a challenge."

* * *

They spent the evening talking, laughing and just acting like teenagers. Aoko called her dad and told him she was staying with Kaito, after explaining that Kaito's mom was home and actually getting said mom on the phone he finally agreed. Ran and Sonoko contacted their parents, Sonoko's parents were fine with it, since they were used to their child's random actions. Rans' on the other hand…

("No. you have to make me dinner! And it's not right, you just met them, you shouldn't be staying with them! And anyways, I need more booze.")

Ran practically glowered at the phone. "Father, why don't you go out for dinner for once, and anyways it's too late to go home now. It's already dark out!"

("Ran, I'll come to pick you up, I don't want you staying with someone I don't know!")

"…here talk to Chikage-san, Kaito-kuns' mother."

("Ran!")

"Mouri-san is it?" Chikage asked taking the phone a smile on her face. "Your wife is Eri isn't it? I was friends with her friend, Yukiko, we've meet once or twice. You're a lucky fella. If I remember right she tied with Yukiko for Taitan queen or something?...You don't have to worry about Ran-chan. I'll make sure she calls you in the morning, nothing will happen… I know I know, Conan-kun is here too… yes he's fine as well he's with Kaito, my son… here I'll give you my address, you can come by if you're that worried." A little while later and a little more influencing by chikage, with a bribe or two thrown in, she finally convinced the other man.

With a click she hung the phone up and turned to Ran. "You have a good father." She winked and walked out.

"She has no idea does she?" Sonoko stated, hands on her hips.

"Sonoko!"

"What, It's the truth!"

* * *

Meanwhile

"So this is my room! Isn't it cool?" Kaito beamed and Conan glanced at him.

"… It's messy."

"Mou~ is that all you can say? Here, let me show you those tricks, let's see if you can figure them out." He grinned.

Conan turned to him then sat down.

Most magicians truthfully bored him, but for some reason this boy was different. Similar to KID, he seemed to have tricks that actually took the boy a few moments to think about. It was a game, Conan got to use his full deduction skills and Kaito learned to develop better tricks to fool the other.

It passed this way until dinner was finally ready. Kaito bolted downstairs, stomach growling, as Conan followed at a more leisurely pace. A small smile adorned his face. It had been a while since he had been able to just act more like himself, even though he had just met the boy the magician seemed to treat him as someone who was his age, it was a relief, even though he wasn't sure why it was that way. Yet even so, he couldn't seem to figure out the other boy. He didn't really show anything, he always had a poker face up, a carefree and easy going smile on his face. The other boy was a mystery to him, which just made him more interesting. Shinichi was always game for a mystery, and for once this one didn't involve murder or kidnapping.

He walked down the stairs and looked over to see the three girls coming out of the living room. Sonoko was animatedly arguing with Aoko regarding Kaitou Kid and Ran was shaking her head, trying to pacify the other two as best she could.

Sonoko was fangirling, insisting that he was the "best", while Aoko seemed to want to demolish the "demon in white", as she put it, who kept making a fool of her father.

The argument continued as they sat down to have dinner, which was curry rice.

"Kaitou kid is the best. I don't understand how you can hate him so much!"

"Because he's a devil! That Thief steals and makes a complete fool of everyone else!"

"He makes it fun and exciting! Not to mention he's handsome to boot!"

"He looks like a demented snowman in that white atrocity of his!"

Conan shuffled away from the two girls, unconsciously moving closer to Ran in the process. Sonoko and Aoko were arguing with each other as they ate, forgetting where they even were. The usual easy going girl was frowning, glaring at the other girl. Aoko held her spoon as if she was imagining hitting the thief over the head with it… hard. Kaito cringed slightly as Chikage raised an eyebrow. Ran was trying to calm the two without much luck.

Conan looked around; Kaito looked like he was debating whether to join Sonoko and aggravate Aoko or just stay quiet… He didn't have to debate long. Conan glanced away as he felt a shift in the table and looked towards the direction of a rather impressive dent.

"Will you two just be quiet and eat! You're being disrespectful!" Silence reigned as everyone looked at Ran who had a fist still in the table. Her teeth were clenched and she was frowning at the other two. She looked down and widened her eyes. "Oh! I'm so so sorry! I didn't mean too! I… uh…"

The girl looked flustered, completely opposite of the menacing aura radiating off her a second ago. Chikage looked at her and just shook her head, chuckling. "Don't worry, it's not that bad, and we can still eat. Actually I want to thank you; it's nice to have peace to think." She smiled as Aoko looked down and Sonoko looked to the left as if the wall suddenly decided to be very fascinating.

"Now you two. Apologize to each other, and get over this feud. It's obvious you two have differing opinions on who that thief is, but that's fine, that's what makes us who we are. Personally I feel like he's too young to be doing what he's doing but… I really don't have any say now do I?" The two looked at her and nodded. After a while the two muttered a quiet I'm sorry to the other. Conan looked up just in time to see Kaito glance at his mother an emotion flashing through his eyes before the poker face came back up. The young boy narrowed his eyes, but couldn't find anything else strange. He shook his head and continued eating.

The rest of the meal passed in peaceful silence, every so often interrupted by a quiet comment or a question for more of the curry. After dinner Chikage lead the three girls to a spare bed room on the second floor. The room had two beds, dressers and a wardrobe. It almost looked like a college dorm room. She left and came back a moment later rolling a pull out bed. She set it up and let the girls decide amongst themselves who was sleeping where. She left again to take care of the two boys.

Kaito was grinning as he showed off another trick to the detective, and then frowned as the detective in question figured out how he did it almost a second later. Chikage chuckled at that sight, then walked in.

"You should get to bed, its late."

"Mom…" kaito whined, "This is early! Heck! Its only midnight!"

"Kaito, enough, come on Conan, I'll lend you some of Kaito's old clothes, I don't think he'll mind too much."

"Mom!"

Chikage chuckled as she led the young boy out.

"So Shin-chan, I'm not going to ask how you ended up like that, It's none of my business. We all have secrets that we would rather keep, so I'm not going to pry… but I will ask this…."

Shinichi looked up at the woman worriedly, cautiousness flooding his system by habit.

"Purple or Blue?" Shinichi blinked in mild shock as the woman held out to sets of pajamas in the exact colors that she mentioned a wide grin on her face.

"…blue…" The woman smiled and put the purple away, she then handed the set to Shinichi.

"The bathrooms on the right~" She turned and headed to Kaito's room, climbing the stairs quickly. Shinichi blinked, staring after the woman. After a moment he just shook his head. He quickly got changed and went upstairs.

* * *

Chikage was just finishing putting a spare futon on the floor when he came in. Kaito was on his bed swinging his legs back and forth. A wide grin adorned his face. Chikage finished up and stood looking at the young boy.

"That should do it. Call if you need anything, I'll be right down the hall." She smiled and waved as she went to leave.

"I will! Oh! Chikage-san! I almost forgot, Mom said that she would love to hear from you again, since it's been so long, she wants to catch up again!" Conan stated, in full child mode.

"Oh!... anything else?" Chikage asked turning back to the young boy.

"Yeah, Dad wishes you the best of luck… both of you…" Conan stated, glancing at Kaito and then back to Chikage. The woman nodded and smiled.

"Thank you, now get to bed, it's late, no matter what age you are." She stated, half-condenscendingly, a small smile gracing her lips. Kaito rolled his eyes while Conan just sat on the futon. Kaito turned to the young boy who raised an eyebrow.

Chikage left, leaving the two boys to talk amongst themselves… it was nice to know Kai-chan was talking with someone; it had been a while since he has looked that genuinely happy… She headed to her room and grinned. It was nice to come home to such a lively house. It had been so long, and this house always seemed too big with just the two of them. She glanced at the girls room, light still shone from under the doorway, and she could hear quiet whispering. "Maybe I'll talk to Yukiko again… it seems like her family is just as involved as ours… I never expected to see Shin-chan in that state." She glanced back towards the boy's room and heard her son whine as another of his tricks was solved. She had a fond look on her face. "Two boys… cursed to follow dangerous and deadly paths…" She closed her eyes and walked into her room, shutting the door enough so she could still hear what was going on. "I guess I should probably ask Yukiko what happened specifically, I don't want to force Shin-chans hand, I think I've startled him enough." She stated. She got changed, and headed to her bed. After a moment she picked up the phone and dialed.

("… This is Yukiko Kudo, who is this?")

"… I wanted to talk."

("Chikage! I didn't expect a call so soon after the last!")

"Two things, one can you say thank you to Yusaku for me? Two…I want to know what happened."

("I'll tell him… and, are you sure? It's a long story.")

Chikage leaned back to get comfortable, "I have all night."

* * *

Conan collapsed backwards on the futon, shaking his head. Somehow during one of the other boy's tricks his hair had gotten dyed a bright blue to match his pajamas. He hadn't noticed until Kaito could no longer hold in the laughter. He had kicked him- hard- after he had realized what happened. The boy had held his shin in pain, whining.

"Did you have to kick me that hard~" the boy pouted messaging the spot.

"How do you get rid of the dye?" He stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Not telling~ Ow! Okay okay!" The boy cringed as he noticed the other turn on his, menace of a shoe, after kicking him again. He was NOT in the mood for a soccer ball of death… or whatever the devilish brat had in mind.

"Just use a little bit of rubbing alcohol with soap that should do the trick." Conan glared and left. After a while he came back, hair clear of all the dye, that's when he had collapsed onto the futon.

'hakuba would probably kill to have that formula and I just gave it to him? I must be slipping.' The magician thought with an internal frown. The young boy yawned, eyes closing. Kaito glanced at the clock and whistled it was 2 in the morning; no wonder the other kid was sleepy.

Kaito glanced back at the other boy who looked like he had already fallen asleep. He smiled and shook his head. 'Tantei-kun… I never knew you were so interesting… even if you are just a critic that doesn't appreciate the beauty of my art…' the boy looked up, seeing the large picture of his father in his magician outfit. He smiled fondly at the picture, his eyes saddening slightly.

There had been a lot of talk about his father today… He glanced around the room. It had been a long time since he had been able to just… relax. Even though he had yet to figure out what had happened to Meitantei-san he didn't seem to mind.

He had always wondered what would happen if he met Tantei-kun in his real form. The other boy was sharp. 'I think the only reason he didn't recognize me today is because of Meitantei-san and Ran-chan, if not for those two, I don't think I could hide it… I guess lady luck is still with me.' Kaito thought looking up at the ceiling. He fell backwards feeling the bed bounce slightly from the impact. He crossed his hands behind his head and smiled. 'I wouldn't mind challenging him again… and I even have a target to do it.' His smile turned to a grin as he remembered what the Suzuki girl had told him. "I guess I know my next assignment." He whispered quietly to himself. He jumped as he heard a shift from the futon. He looked over and sighed, realizing that the chibi detective was still asleep. He yawned and rolled over to face the wall. He closed his eyes and, after thinking up a few plans for the next heist, he fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Phew~ That's the end of that chapter.

I ask that you PLEASE review. I'm happy to see alerts and faves, but a simple review like "nice", or something, would really help. It might also allow me to get myself into gear and write another chapter before it changes seasons. :P

anyways hope you enjoyed this LONG chapter and I will see you next time!

Ja ne~


	4. Changing Beliefs and Old Friends

Thank you everybody! I now officially have 10 reviews for this story. It makes me happy to see that people like it. So I will keep trying my best. So... here is the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own, the characters belong to Gosho Aoyama.

Warning: Possible OOCness and grammar mistakes.

* * *

_He closed his eyes and after thinking up a few plans for the next heist, he fell into a dreamless sleep._

* * *

The next day, the two groups woke up with differing stages of attentiveness. Kaito was quite hyper resulting in waking up a, very, moody Conan.

"Will you Shut. Up." Conan groaned, grabbing a pillow and thrusting it over his head, trying to grab a few more minutes of sleep. Kaito, who had noticed the movement, grinned.

"Okay!" Kaito stated loudly. He was used to not sleeping much, so he was already wide awake.

"Go away, you're annoying."

The boy continued to grin and left, letting the other boy continue sleeping. He looked over to see both Aoko and Ran leaving the girls room, Sonoko came out a moment later, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Kaito-kun, did you sleep well?... You didn't keep Conan-kun up too late did you?" Ran stated, eyeing the boy suspiciously.

Kaito looked at her in confusion. "Who me? Of course not! Why would I ever do such a thing?" He quickly changed the emotion to another grin. "No, we only stayed up until about 2 am."

Ran pursed her lips in a frown, but it was Aoko who said something.

"Bakaito! That's too late for a boy his age! He should have been asleep HOURS before that, are you an idiot?!"

"Of course I'm not Ahoko, he wanted to stay up, so I let him. That's what you're supposed to do on sleepovers, isn't it?"

"That's for teenagers! For a seven year old he should have been to bed at a decent hour!"

"BREAKFAST!" a voice shouted, interrupting the two people's argument. Kaito blinked and looked down stairs to see his mom on the bottom of the steps, cupping her hands around her mouth.

She was wearing a frilly blue apron.

"Come on, it'll get cold." She stated, turning away from the group at the top of the stairs. The group shrugged and descended; with Aoko and Kaito bickering in the lead, and Sonoko right behind. Ran, who was in the back, looked over towards Kaito's room. After a moment she walked over and entered. On the floor she could see Conan sleeping peacefully; his glasses were still on his face. Ran shook her head and stepped in. Softly she reached over the boys head, quickly tousling his hair. A moment later she reached for the boys glasses. The boy woke up and, noticing the hands, kicked upwards, rolling away with the movement. Ran just sat there, her hand still extended as Conan looked over at her, a frightened look passed through his features for a split second, before it was pushed away.

"Ran-nee-chan… what are you doing in here?" He asked, trying to recollect himself after the… spaz attack. Ran looked at him for a second, worry etched into her features.

"Conan-kun… are you okay?"

"…Yep!"

Ran looked at him for a moment longer then spoke, "Chikage-san, finished making breakfast, so I wanted to see if you were awake…"

"Oh! Thanks!" Conan stated, a wide, cute smile adorning his face. Ran nodded and stood up.

"Well, we best not keep them waiting right?" She smiled, reached down, and took his small hand in hers. Conan nodded, gripping the girls hand tightly. They walked downstairs and into the kitchen to see Aoko chasing Kaito around the room with a… broom. Sonoko was watching in a mixture of horror and amusement, while Chikage was just shaking her head; a smile on her face. The two newcomers watched in confusion as the two did one more revolution around the room, Kaito dodging left and right. A moment later both froze, noticing the new audience. Remembering yesterday they both stopped and obediently sat down; Aoko, glaring at Kaito, who was just grinning in return.

"So… was there a reason for that?..." Ran asked pulling Conan onto one of the open chairs.

"Oh nothing… just talking." Kaito grinned turning to the food. "Uwah! It looks delicious!" He stated, digging in. A moment later the others followed. Ran just shrugged and ate, praising Chikage once again for her wonderful cooking. They finished quickly and Ran once again called her father to tell him that she was fine and that she was going to be at the hospital till closing time. Mouri had argued but Ran had argued right back, making the man pause. In the end she won.

"So… you are going to 'Shinichi' again today?" Kaito asked once he had gotten changed. Ran nodded.

"Yeah…" Kaito looked at her for a moment then smiled, "okay, then I'm joining you! I hear the hospital is always in the need for magicians… and entertainers." Ran looked at him for a second then softly smiled.

"Thank you."

"Then I'm coming too! I can't leave just Kaito with you!" Aoko stated, raising her hand as if she was in school.

"You don't need to come Ahoko, don't you have to take care of your dad?"

"He can wait!" Aoko stated then rounded on Ran.

"I can come right?" Ran blinked then nodded, meanwhile Sonoko smirked, amusement playing across her features as she watched the scene. Conan just deadpanned.

"I guess I will come too." Chikage stated, "I want to see Shin-chan anyways." Ran and Conan glanced at her for a moment, looking at her for two completely different reasons. She smiled then looked out the door. "So are we going?" Ran nodded and walked out, followed by the others.

Upon arriving at the hospital they asked to talk to the doctor they had meet yesterday. The doctor told them that the boy was recovering surprisingly fast, however he would probably be unconscious for a while longer. The group had nodded in understanding and walked in. This time they were allowed into the patient's room.

When they entered Ran instantly went to the boy's side and sat down. She reached forward, stopped then continued, lightly touching one of the boy's hands. She gripped it, hoping that the touch would wake the boy. Instead he continued to sleep, breathing in and out slowly. The rest watched awkwardly, not sure what to do with themselves. Conan yawned, tired from staying up so late the night before and upset because he didn't have any coffee.

They stayed there throughout the day, Ran staying planted besides Shinichi's side, with Sonoko coming and going to give her drinks and comfort. Conan used the time to wake up and examine the 'Shinichi' lying on the bed while the others did whatever they wanted.

At one point Chikage joined him; picking him up, much to the young boy's annoyance.

"So… that's what your mother meant… quite interesting, wouldn't you say Shin-chan?" The woman whispered quietly, hugging the boy tightly. Conan sighed, giving up on struggling out of the older woman's arms; she was as stubborn as his own mother in that regard.

"… It is… It just… It makes no sense… I can't make heads or tails of the situation. The clues point to an impossible situation, no matter how you look at it, and logically, all that occurred at the scene of the crime is… impossible."

"Well then… how about thinking illogically? Not everything in the world is supposed to be rational, there are wonders that science has yet to understand… yet the universe has been doing those things for millennia. It's not always the rational, who understand, but the irrational. If you think of it like this you might be able to see what the logical side of you can't." The woman smiled cryptically, looking down at the young boy, who stared up at her in a mixture of confusion and thought. The woman gave Conan one more squeeze then set him down.

"Well, I've got to get going, I want to have a date with Kai-chan, since this is the first I've seen him in a while! Take care of Ran-chan for me okay Shin-chan!" Chikage stated, waving good-bye as she left. Kaito, who happened to enter the room right at that moment, blinked in surprise when he met his mother at the doorway.

"Kai-chan! Let's go! I heard that a new restaurant opened up recently! I want to see it!" She grabbed the boys arm and practically dragged him out the door. Kaito's protests rang down the hallway all the way until the two were down the stairs and out the door. Conan glanced over then tilted his head back down, trying to understand what the woman had said.

'Thinking about it illogically… rational and irrational… seeing what the logical side can't… what does she mean?...' Conan put a hand to his chin in thought; staring off into space. Meanwhile Ran yawned, still holding onto Shinichi's hand lightly; Sonoko stood next to her, a hand comfortingly touching the girls shoulder.

"Ran…"

Ran looked up and smiled softly, "I'm fine… don't worry about it Sonoko." The girl closed her eyes and let her smile widen slightly. A moment later she looked back down at the boy, dropping the smile in the process. She gripped his hand tightly, letting her slight trembling show through. Sonoko tightened her hold on the girls shoulder in silent understanding. She smiled, yet, surprisingly, didn't say a word. Aoko watched, sitting quietly in a corner, she seemed to be busy; she was on her phone, quietly yelling. A moment later the girl hung up and stood.

"I'm sorry, but I will be going now, I need to get something for my dad, he forgot it at home and he needs it for work." She bowed and waved. The two girls smiled and Sonoko enthusiastically waved good-bye back. Aoko smiled, nodded and left, leaving the room in a semi-peaceful silence.

A little while later, while Sonoko was out grabbing a drink for Ran, Hakuba came by.

He walked in, glancing around quickly. He spotted the young boy who was looking at 'Shinichi' as if only half seeing him. His legs were crossed and his hand was under his chin in silent consideration. Ran was lying next to 'Shinichi'; she had fallen asleep a few moments after Sonoko had left. Hakuba sighed then stepped forward, glancing to the boy on the bed for a split second before turning to the young boy that was wide awake. Hakuba hesitated, debating with himself.

His debate ended when he heard a young voice quietly ask, "What's up Hakuba-nii-san?"

Hakuba looked pointedly at the boy who was looking back at him. The two held their gazes, giving off the impression of two teens, staring each other down; the boy's posture added to the fact.

After a moment Hakuba gave in, "Nothing much really. The police have already examined the area, but there were no signs of a gun fight or any damage to the building at all… except for a few scuff marks from when Aoko-san hit one of the walls with her broom… besides that, there is no sign that someone used a trick or that anyone besides us even saw what happened… The school is on break so they can fix up any problems before the students come back…"

"Once the students are back, if someone missed something, it would be long gone… it wasn't any of the students correct?" Conan asked, subconsciously becoming his 17 year old self.

"No, it wasn't, our class has an alibi and there are no other people who fit into the crime scene." Hakuba stated, glancing once again at 'Shinichi' and Ran, who were both sleeping peacefully.

"Well… I have to get going; I just came by to check on him, and to notify you about the situation." Hakuba turned, nodding his farewell. He left a moment before Sonoko entered, holding two cans.

"Was that Hakuba-kun?" Sonoko stated, glancing over her shoulder.

"Yep!" Conan piped up, back to his seven year old façade. Sonoko nodded and turned.

"So brat, what did he have to say?"

'Brat?' Conan's eye twitched, yet he ignored it, plastering on a childish grin. "Oh! Not much, he just wanted to say that the investigation is going on and that there is no new news, that's all. Oh! And he wanted to check on Shinichi-nii-chan!" Sonoko raised an eyebrow then shrugged. She glanced at Ran and smiled. Her smile turned into a grin as she took both cans and placed them on both the girls' cheeks. The girl woke with a start causing Sonoko to laugh.

"Mou~ Sonoko!" Ran whined glaring at the other girl who began laughing even harder as she handed the can to Ran. The girl took it then opened it, pouting at the other girl's laughter. A moment later she quietly began chuckling, joining in with the other girl's infectious mirth. Conan glanced over and softly smiled, happily watching Ran's face light up slightly from the laugh. A while later they calmed down and sat back, getting comfortable. They stayed like that for as long as they could. Once the nurse came in telling them to leave they did, Conan leaving last. The boy glanced back as the door shut, once again thinking about what Chikage had to say.

They walked out; Sonoko was leisurely stretching, reaching for the warm, sunny sky. Ran, yawning beside her, smiled.

"Honk!" The girls jumped then looked forward seeing an irritated Mouri glaring at them from a rental car window.

"Father!" Ran exclaimed in surprise.

"Ran! Where have you been! You should have been home hours ago!"

"Father! I already told you! I was taking care of Shinichi!"

"That detective brat." Mouri glowered, he sighed and looked forward. "Come on, get in, we should be heading home, it's quite a drive." The two girls glanced at each other than piled in, quickly followed by Conan.

"Oh yeah, did Hakase make it home?" Conan asked curiously, just remembering that they had left him to fend for himself yesterday.

"Yeah." Mouri stated simply, watching the road in front of them as they pulled out of the hospital.

Once they got on the main road, Mouri glanced over at his daughter and looked at her pointedly. "You really shouldn't stay with people you barely know, and with a BOY no less." The man looked forward, quickly pulling into the right lane as they came upon a slow driving car.

"Father, I know, however you talked with his mother and there was another girl, we were perfectly safe, and anyways it's nice to be able to stay out with friends once in a while!' Ran stated back, a determined and stubborn look firmly placed on her features. Mouri glanced at her through the rear view mirror then sighed.

"Fine, just promise you won't do it again, okay?" He quickly glanced at the girl then looked back at the road. Ran smiled widely.

"Of course!"

They continued on. About an hour or two later they arrived in front of one of Sonoko's residents. The girl smiled and hopped out of the car, waving good-bye to Ran as she went up the steps. The Trio said their good-byes and left. A little while later Mouri dropped the rental car off. It was a short distance from the rental place, so they decided to walk home.

"Oi! Where 're they! They shoulda been he'e!" Conan deadpanned, walking up the stairs to find Hattori knocking on the door with all his might, Kazuha was right next to him rolling her eyes. She was the one who noticed the trio come up the stairs.

"Kazuha-chan! What are you doing here?" Ran asked surprised to see the Osakan girl.

"Heiji said he wanted ta come over, wanted ta see ya guys again."

"Ya were the 'ne who advised tha' we go!" The osakan stated glancing with a frown at the other girl. Then he shrugged and bent down to Conan's level. He smiled and messed up the young boy's hair much to the mini sleauths chagrin. "Whateve' at least I get ta see Kudo!"

"Hattori!" the young boy seethed under his breath, glaring at the other, who just grinned; luckily the girls didn't seem to hear and Kogoro had just kept moving to open the door, leaving the two osakans alone.

"Ran-chan where were ya?" Kazuha asked coming up to the other girl. Ran looked down, hair covering her eyes. The change in mood alerted the two, who glanced at her in worry. "Ran-chan! What is it! Did something happen?!" Hattori looked their way, frowning as Ran started shaking.  
"It's… Sh… Shinichi… he was shot." Ran stated bangs covering her expression. Kazuha's eyes widened as Hattori's head whipped around to stare at Conan in confusion and shock.

"How the 'ell were ya shot?!" Conan just shook his head, sighing.

"I'll explain later." He replied knowing there really was no getting out of it, and ignoring the fact that the osakan had just given a- somewhat- idiotic claim.

Kazuha went up to the shaking girl and gave her a tight hug, comforting the girl who had started to cry again. "Come on Ran-chan, let's get inside. Then ya can tell me what 'appened, 'kay?" Ran nodded and they walked in. Hattori turned to Conan and looked at him, confusion obvious in his eyes.

"Oi, Kudo, what the 'ell is going on?!"

"Honestly, Hattori? I don't really know." Hattori looked at him, shock on his face.

Then he smirked, "So the 'Great Detective' can't figure out a simple little case!"

"Shut up Hattori, and anyways I don't think you would be able to figure it out either… unless you believe in magic." This caught the other boy's attention.

"Magic?... Where did that come from… you've never believed it before…" Hattori stated no longer smiling.

Conan looked at him then shook his head, "Here let me explain, then maybe you'll understand why I am stumped."

A little while later,

"Ya kidding me… that's all we know?!" Hattori said sitting on the floor; about half way through the conversation they had decided to move to one of the rooms, away from the girls and kogoro who was watching Okino Yoko on T.V.

"Yeah… see why I'm confused?"

"… If it was anyone else I would say they probably just saw it all wrong, and/or missed something… but… even though tha' stuck-up brat is annoying, 'e still has a decent 'nough eye." The Osakan grudgingly stated, looking like he would rather do anything else besides give the British boy a complement… even swim through sewage.

Shinichi suppressed a roll of his eyes. "Hattori…"

"What! That brat is a prick and ya know it just as much as I do." Hattori stated frowning, spreading his arms out in defense. Shinichi just shook his head.

"So all we know is that someone shot… 'Shinichi' who isn't ya. We know he arrived wit' a scream and a flash of red light, landing on top of this kid named Kaito, who later said th' scream sounded like himself, th' scream was 'Shinichi's' name, thus it's very possible tha' the 'ne who screamed saw what happened. Only problem is tha' they were inside a classroom, no glass was broken, nothing happened besides those two things, yet he fell enough where he knocked Kaito on the floor and we have yet ta find th' screamer… Is tha' about everything?" Hattori stated looking at the young boy incredulously. Shinichi nodded.

"Is it a fake, someone trying ta act like ya and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Shinichi shook his head.

"I honestly don't know. Like I said, if I didn't know that I was me, I would think that the person in that hospital WAS me, Remember the case where someone decided to copy my face and ruin my reputation? The time when you mixed up the cold medicine with the aptoxin cure?"

"Oh… ah… yeah" Hattori stated looking away and scratching a corner of his cheek.

"Well if you remember… Ran didn't cry when she saw the imposter… but this time… She cried when she saw 'shinichi'…" The young boys voice was pained causing Hattori to look at the other sympathetically, a frown on his face.

"but… how is that possible, ya two just seem linked, there is no way she would mix up ya wit' an imposter…"

"So… 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable must be the truth.'"

"Wait… 're ya saying ya actually think that person is ya?!"

"How would you explain it Hattori? If someone suddenly showed up who looked exactly like you in every way… even down to the minute details, and Kazuha actually believed they were you?" Hattori went to argue then paused, looking at the other, understanding dawning on his face.

"Is that why ya talked about magic earlier?..."

Shinichi nodded pursing his lips, he had a hand on his chin, "Though, I'll admit, The main reason that I thought of this is because someone told me, 'Well… then how about thinking illogically? Not everything in the world is supposed to be rational, there are wonders that science has yet to understand… yet the universe has been doing those things for millennia, It's not always the rational, who understand, but the irrational. If you think of it like this you might be able to see what the logical side of you can't.'"

"… Holy, talk about random mumbo jumbo; I can't believe ya actually understand tha'…"

"Yeah, well it's simple once you think about it. Basically they were saying that I should try to think of it, quite literally, outside the box. That I should try to think about it as if it was something that can't be explained. There are only a few things now in days that we cannot explain, and one of them… is magic."

"Wow… now tha' ya mention it… huh… if you think of it that way… maybe it was… or maybe it could be a sideaffect of th' apotoxin… like… I don't know… Ya got split and you' older form is still walking around?" Shinichi turned to the osakan with a deadpan look.

"You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding."

Hattori shrugged, "Hey, we have a pill tha' shrinks ya ta a seven year old, theirs bound ta be other strange things out there. Just the pill by itself sounds like magic."

"Good point… though I hate to admit it…" Shinichi sighed pulling his hair in annoyance.

"Heiji?" The osakan looked up to see Kazuha in the doorway, hands on her hips. "We're staying he'e tonight, right?" She looked pointedly at the boy, her tone of voice indicating that it was more of a statement then a question. Heiji looked at her, confusion evident on his face.

"Uh... yes, but why? I thought ya wanted ta go 'ome?"

"I want ta stay with Ran-chan, just for tonight. We can go in the morning." Heiji glanced over to Conan who just shrugged, not really knowing what to say to the determined girl. Kazuha smiled, letting her hands fall to her sides limply, as she turned and left.

"Well... I guess we're bothering ya for a little longer!" Heiji grinned, slapping conan lightheartedly on the back.

Conan pursed his lips in annoyance. "Great..." he stated, sarcasm dripping from the word like honey.

Heiji smiled, either ignoring or not noticing the sarcasm. "Great!"

Conan rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

'This is going to be a long night.' He thought tiredly, realizing how little sleep he was bound to get, and had gotten.

Heiji noticed the look and grinned, "You know... recently I had this really interesting case, want to hear about it?"

"What happened?" Conan asked, perking up slightly.

Heiji's grin widened, "Well it began with..." As Heiji continued, Conan became more and more absorbed in the case, trying to figure it out before heiji said who it was. After that they moved on, exchanging stories back and forth until it was once again well into the morning. After breakfast the two said there good-byes. Kazuha promising to come back to see Ran as soon as possible.

Ran just smiled, letting her arm wave back and forth gently.

"Well... It's time for school." Ran stated looking down on Conan, with her hands clasped lightly behind her back. Conan yawned and nodded, still half asleep.

Ran smiled gently and bent down. She pulled the boy into a hug, holding his in a gentle and comforting manner.

"Thank you Conan... for being there." She whispered. All Conan could do was nod.

"I'm sorry... Ran."

* * *

Another chapter finished. Not much to say except that Heiji's accent is... interesting to write...

Well I hope you enjoyed and I hope you, (yes YOU) review. :D It would make me very happy. :)

(and I maybe, just might, be able to write faster. ;)

Ja ne~


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